


Sometimes Love is Messy

by Elri



Category: Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 03:50:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13895625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elri/pseuds/Elri
Summary: Charlie may have been a military man, but not every lesson carries over into civilian life. He may need Sami's help to put things back in order





	Sometimes Love is Messy

**Author's Note:**

> This sprang from a headcanon about the state of Charlie's desk
> 
> Modern setting because fuck period-typical homophobia

“Charlie, did you lose something on your desk again?” Sami stood in the doorway to their shared office, freshly refilled tea mugs in hand, staring at Charlie who was sifting through the sea of papers in front of him. After living together for a few years, it had become less amusing and more tiring to watch him try to find the latest document he’d realized had been misplaced.

“No,” Charlie shot back defensively, “I did not lose it, it’s definitely on the left side.”

“Is that why you’re searching the right side?”

Charlie stopped, looked down at his desk, and mentally rechecked his rights and lefts. “Ah, right.”

Sami’s mouth twitched a little at the corner, but he took mercy on his boyfriend and didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked over to give Charlie his mug and a kiss on the forehead before returning to his own, much more pristine desk across the room. He leaned back in his chair and settled in to watch Charlie start looking through the pile on the other side.

In Charlie’s defense, the mess was almost entirely papers with a few scattered pens and other office supplies. He was very good about taking care of dinnerware, wrappers, and other pieces of trash. That being said, Sami was very cautious about lending Charlie his stapler, for fear it would be put down before it could be returned.

“One of these days, I am going to get you a desk organizer for your birthday.”

Charlie didn’t even look up as he huffed in amusement. “You’ve been saying that for years.”

“It’s going to happen,” Sami threatened.

“Aye but then you wouldn’t be able to help me clean it up anymore,” Charlie looked over at Sami with a grin, earning him a fond eyeroll. After another moment of searching, he held up a piece of paper with a flourish, a very satisfied look on his face. Sami toasted him with his mug, shaking his head as Charlie then looked for a safe place to put the paper down. He opted to hold it lightly in his mouth as he woke up the computer and pulled up the page he’d been looking at. Sami returned to his own task and they worked silently through the afternoon.

After dinner they settled in on the couch to read. Charlie’s feet were propped up on the coffee table, Sami’s feet were propped in Charlie’s lap. Occasionally, Charlie would nudge Sami’s toes. He didn’t dare try to tickle them, not after last time. That had been an embarrassing hospital visit; thankfully nothing was broken.

“Hey Sami?” Charlie asked at one point, poking his feet to get his attention.

“Hmm?” Sami looks up from his book, book-marking his place with his finger.

“I wouldn’t say no to a few folders to put in my drawer, just to get some of the papers off my desk.”

Sami smiled and nudged Charlie gently in the side with his foot, “I think I’m rubbing off on you.”

“I said _some_ of the papers, the rest are staying right where they are.”

“Of course, how else would you ever find what you’re looking for.” Sami gave Charlie a totally innocent face that cracked into a cheeky grin as soon as Charlie lightly shoved his feet.

 

The next morning, Sami went out to his preferred supply store and got a set of hanging file folders for Charlie desk drawer. His goal was to get as much off the top of Charlie’s desk as possible. Normally for a task like this he would have gotten a label maker as well, such as when he helped Etta organize both her and Steve’s desks at work (he had been needed more for Steve’s desk but she appreciated the company), but he had one of his own at home. Steve had once compared him to Monica from _Friends_ to which Sami had responded that at least his locker didn’t look like a garbage dump in the Philippines. Only Charlie had understood the reference but the joke managed to stand on its own.

Once Sami returned home, Charlie made them both two strong cups of tea to fortify their wills and they made the plunge.

“What’s even on here?” Sami asked, holding up a small stack of receipts in one hand and what appeared to be a six-month-old letter from the bank trying to promote their new credit card.

Charlie shrugged, "Stuff I might need. You never know.”

“Really,” Sami raised an eyebrow as he showed Charlie an expired coupon to a store they went into once, “And when are you going to need this?”

“Hey I didn’t say I needed _all_ of it,” Charlie retorted, “I’ll have you know there are some very important documents on this desk.”

“That's what worries me.”

Instead of responding, Charlie picked up the label maker and typed something into it, printing out a very short label. He stuck it on a folder tab and held it up to show Sami. The folder was now labelled “V.I.D.”

“Clever,” Sami deadpanned. Charlie gave him a grin in response, leaning over to peck Sami on the lips.

After about 45 minutes of sorting and filing and tossing and shredding, they were about two-thirds of the way done. Sami got up and took their cups for a refill, needing just a little extra to get through the last section. He also got some band-aids from the cabinet over the bathroom sink, they’d both ended up with a few paper cuts.

Once tea had been refilled and cuts had been bandaged and kissed, they settled back in to work. Charlie sat on the floor next to the open drawer and set about sorting receipts, tossing any that weren’t credit card purchases. When they’d first moved in they’d paid close attention to their statements and had since fallen into the habit of saving their records. They opted to move any papers that might be needed for tax purposes over to Sami’s desk, saving those in a safer place for when they sat down to take care of everything together. That was another strong tea task, usually followed up by wine and scotch.

For the time being, tea was enough, and Sami took a long sip before sitting down to continue his work. It looked like a haphazard pile he’d made had toppled over so he started there. About half way through, he noticed a sealed envelope, cream colored, kind of a squarish rectangular shape, sitting under one of the piles. He picked it up and held it out towards Charlie, not even looking up.

“One of the important documents you might need?”

Charlie looked up and smirked, “Not mine, gràdhach; that’s your name on the front.”

“Hm?” Suddenly confused, Sami quickly turned the envelope around. Sure enough, his name was written on the front in elegant lettering. “How did it end up on your desk?”

“Who knows. It’s not something you need to RSVP to is it?”

“I don’t know.” Sami slid his finger under the flap of the envelope, unsealing it easily.

The paper inside was the same color as the envelope, folded in two to fit neatly. He opened it up and sat back to read the carefully written script:

_Dear Sameer,_

_If you’re reading this then that means I finally figured out the best way to do this._

_I’ve been meaning to for a while but wanted to wait for the right moment, because when we first met it was at exactly the right moment. It wasn’t perfect, but it was right, and I’m grateful every day that we didn’t let it pass us by._

_These past few years have been my happiest, largely in part because of you and all the joy that you have brought into my life. We can never know what might have been, but I hope you’ll stay by my side as we learn and shape what is to come._

_Sameer Nejem, will you marry me?_

Sami looked up, joyful tears in his eyes, to see Charlie on his knee with a ring in his hand.

“You bastard,” Sami said, grinning, “Did you ask me to clean your desk just so you could propose?”

“I mean it did need to be cleaned but I saw an opportunity and-” he was cut off as Sami kissed him, half-kneeling to get down to him. Charlie grinned when they pulled apart, “Is that a yes then?”

“Yes, Charlie, yes!”

**Author's Note:**

> The garbage dump joke is a Brooklyn Nine-NIne reference mostly in there for oopsabird as I don't watch the show yet  
> Sami's last name is a personal headcanon that I came up with for my other work "If I Loved You," it means star in Arabic


End file.
